Overnight Super Bowl TV rating just shy of record

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NEW YORK — The overnight rating for the New York Giants’ Super Bowl win over New England was less than 1 percent shy of the record tied last year.

New York’s 21-17 victory Sunday night on NBC received a 47.8 rating and 71 share, Nielsen Media Research said Monday. It trailed the 47.9/71 overnight for Green Bay’s 31-25 victory over Pittsburgh last year on Fox and the 47.9/68 for the Giants’ 39-20 win over Denver in 1987.

The game began with a 43.3/69 for the first half hour from 6:30-7 p.m. EST and peaked at a 51.8/73 from 9:30-10 p.m., when the Giants rallied in the fourth quarter.

Boston had its best NFL rating at 56.7/81, topping the 2002 Super Bowl, and New York’s 49.7/74 was second only to 1987. Indianapolis’ 56.4/79 was second-best for a host, trailing only Jacksonville’s 58.9/77 in 2006.

The rating is the percentage of television households tuned to a broadcast, and the share is the percentage of homes watching among those with TVs on at the time.